


Moon Song

by BeneathTheOperaHouse



Category: The Sound of Music - Rodgers/Hammerstein/Lindsay & Crouse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Behind the Scenes, Bonding, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 10:26:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14932485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeneathTheOperaHouse/pseuds/BeneathTheOperaHouse
Summary: Maria's return to the villa is memorable, that is for sure. When she finds something unexpected one evening how will she deal with it? Cross posted from fanfiction.net, original post date 5/4/2011





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this fic in 2011. I only just now finished it and posted the final chapter. It is canon divergent.

Maria stared at the ceiling. Her arms were bent so that her head rested on her hands. She took in long, deep breaths and flexed her eyebrows in thought. That day's activities were all that was on her mind. The yelling and singing still made her head hurt. That song she had taught the children while their father was away. She was surprised that he knew that song, the song that she often hummed to herself in solitude, the song that often got her in trouble at the abbey. 

His voice was… well, nothing short of angelic. Maria had no idea that he was able to sing like that, especially on first impression. And then he hugged and kissed each and every one of his children, it made Maria's heart flutter with warmth. He had gotten the message. Her gaze had met with that of the baroness' and her heart had stopped fluttering. The captain looked up at her, and she had slinked back, he noticed her. She had made her way up the stairs and heard footsteps.

" _Fraulein, I want you to stay. I ask you to stay,"_  he had told her after apologizing. Maria couldn't sleep with that thought in her head. Had there been a reason he wanted her to stay? Of course; it was for the children. They needed him, not her. But she could sense that there was some other reason. Either way, she would not be asking the captain about it. She closed her eyes and got under the thick, luxurious, and amazingly warm blanket. She found herself getting much to warm, so she kicked the blanket aside. Now it was too cold. She stretched out her limbs, for they had started aching. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling again. 

She sat up and stared at the door across from her. Perhaps a cup of tea or warm milk would help. She remembered one night while the captain was in Vienna, when Marta had wandered into her room; tears ran down the poor girl's cheeks. Maria cuddled the girl close and soothed her. Then she prepared a glass of warm milk and tucked Marta back into bed. She remembered distinctly what Marta had said as she drifted off.

" _Goodnight mother,"_  the thought warmed Maria's heart as she thought about it. She knew it was an accident, but it still made her heart flutter. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and put her feet into her slippers. She took the silk dressing gown that Frau Schmidt had given her on her second night and slipped it over her thin summer nightgown that she had brought with her from the abbey. She crossed her arms over her stomach underneath her breasts, only untangling her arms to clutch the door handle and pull open the door, shutting it gently behind her as not to wake anyone else.

Maria made her way down the stairs as quietly as she could, holding tightly onto the stair rail, taking in the fact that the marble was cooled. She winced as her slippers made soft echoing noises in the foyer. She entered the dining room, and from there the kitchen. Even in the darkness she could see a tall sturdy figure, standing over something. The figure obviously heard her enter the room because it turned and she was met by enticing blue eyes that glowed in the moonlight that came through the window.

"Ah, Fraulein, it's only you," the captain's deep voice said. Maria tried to slow her breathing and she nodded in response. The captain held a cup in his hands, and out of it hung a string to a tea bag.

"I'm sorry captain, I had trouble sleeping and I thought that perhaps some tea or warm milk would help," Maria explained. The captain nodded and stepped aside, revealing a pot of water on the stove. Maria made her way over to the pot and got a cup from the cabinet above it. "Could you not sleep either captain?" she asked quietly, trying to fill the silence.

"Uh, yes, it seems the evening air is either too warm or too cold," he said, sipping the liquid from the cup in his hand. Maria put a tea bag in her cup and faced her employer.

"I know how you feel," she admitted. It got silent again.

"Would you like, to uh… sit in the living room?" he asked. Maria nodded and followed him out of the kitchen. They sat next to each other on one of the couches and sipped their tea. "It seems that I can't stop thinking about what happened this afternoon," the captain stated. Maria chuckled to herself.

"It might be the reason I can't sleep either," Maria said. The captain's blue eyes met hers. "I really am sorry about what I said. I was way out of line."

"I told you before Fraulein that the fault was entirely my own. No governess before yourself has  _ever_  had the courage to do what you did. You brought music back into the house and made me realize the way I treated my own family was unacceptable," he said. Maria could feel her face heat up. She took a long drink of her tea and winced as her tongue began to burn. She set the cup on a table nearby, and tried to fan her tongue. "Is everything alright Fraulein?" the captain asked worriedly. Maria looked up at him and ran her tongue over with her top teeth before responding.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you captain, I fear that I burned my tongue," Maria said. The captain set his cup aside and stared at her. His eyes widened in the darkness.

"May I see?" he asked. Maria swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat.

"I'm… sorry captain?" she choked out.

"Your tongue, may I see?" he asked. Maria's face took on a look of shock.

"Why do you want to see my tongue?" she asked.

"You said you burned it, yes?" he asked. Maria's eyebrows creased together in confusion.

"Yes captain, but that is hardly worth examining," Maria said. The captain raised his eyebrows. He turned away and picked up his tea cup again.

"If you say so Fraulein," he muttered. Maria took a deep breath through her nose and let it out as she attempted to take another sip of her tea. Her tongue was swollen by now, but sitting here next to the captain, it just felt so… right.

"So, the baroness," Maria said, turning to the captain. He stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Yes, what about her?" he asked. Maria laughed to herself.

"She is very beautiful," Maria complimented. The captain smiled in the darkness.

"I agree she is," he muttered.

"I think she'll be a wonderful mother to the children," Maria continued. "They seem to respect her and I'm sure over time they'll come to love her like one."

"Yes, well truthfully; they seem to love you like a mother and it has only been a couple of weeks, tell me your secret Fraulein," he said, looking at her with a very intrigued expression.

"I have no secret captain. I respect them and they respect me, it's that simple," Maria said, gesturing with her hands to emphasize her point.

"Well, I would like you to stay around for a while Fraulein. I'm positive that if you left, that you would be missed dearly," the captain said. Maria nodded. "Tell me though. Is life here any  _better_ than it was at the abbey?"

"I miss it if that's what you're asking," Maria said, setting aside her empty cup.

"No, no, no, what I mean is… are you happy here?"

"Oh very much captain. I can assure you that," Maria said with a smile.

"I'm glad to hear that Fraulein."

It grew silent between the two adults again. Maria let out a yawn, covering her mouth to silence it with the best of her ability. The captain smiled and then yawned himself.

"It is late, I must be getting back to bed," Maria said.

"Georg," the captain stated as she stood. Maria looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, what did you say captain?" she asked.

"You may call me Georg, but only when we are alone," he reiterated, standing himself. "You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable. But I feel like I bonded with you tonight Fraulein Maria, and I would like that bond to grow," he said.

"Very well ca—Georg," she said, trying out her employer's new title. It felt different, but she kind of liked the feel of it. "Good night," she said, leaving the sitting room and making her way up the stairs. She walked into her room and removed her dressing robe and slippers, getting back under the covers. He asked her to call him by his name, why was her heart fluttering? This feeling was so new to her. It was a shame that he was with the baroness.

Georg fell back into the seat and watched as Maria left his sight. He felt something when he was with her. But the baroness… there was a different feeling. He knew right then that this wouldn't be the last late night meeting they shared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria's return to the villa is memorable, that is for sure. When she finds something unexpected one evening how will she deal with it?

Another couple of weeks passed before Captain Von Trapp had trouble sleeping again. Things were going rather well in the house since the last time, and he hadn't had a fitful night of sleep since. Unfortunately it didn't last more than a couple of weeks. As Georg lied on his back, trying to sleep, he found himself thinking about that stunning blue dress that his governess had worn earlier that day.

Max had surprised the children with a puppet show theater, and with great enthusiasm they had convinced Maria to help them prepare a little show for himself, Elsa, and Max. The ballroom where it was performed was closed off most of the day, the sounds of children singing softly and the clinking of puppets coming from behind the closed doors. It was just before dinner time when Maria had emerged, gathering the adults to watch the performance. The whole production was endearing, singing the story of a goatherd who sang and fell in love. Georg was the first to clap, very much entertained and impressed at the show. However; it was what happened afterwards that occupied the captain's mind. He didn't know how they did it, but his seven offspring actually  _convinced_ him to sing. If anyone ever asked, Georg was forced against his will.

The entire time, he was focused on the blue dress, and no matter how he tried to deny it to Elsa, he eventually admitted that he found it to be very beautiful. He reassured his lover that she would look ten times as stunning if she were to wear it, but he could tell that Elsa didn't believe him because of the constriction in his voice. No one could look as beautiful as Maria did in  _that dress_. Georg rolled onto his side, facing the empty side of the bed, wishing whole heartedly that Agathe was there to fill it. It was official now, Georg couldn't sleep. He sat up and pushed his hair back with his hands, letting out a groan. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Some tea had helped last time; it was bound to help this time.

Georg opened the door to his bedroom and closed it behind him, stepping to the hallway. As he did so, he heard another door close quietly down the hall. He looked and there stood Maria, exiting what was most likely the nursery. As she turned to return to her room, he met her gaze. She was in her usual summer nightgown, slippers, and dressing gown, her hair a bit frazzled, but still pretty even so late in the evening. As he approached her, she quickly pushed her hair back nervously.

"Ah, Cap—Georg, I was just putting Gretl back to bed. She found her way into my room because she had a nightmare," Maria explained. Georg didn't know whether to be hurt by this or to be relieved that he had such a wonderful governess for his children. He felt a bit hurt that his own child went to the governess instead of him when she had a bad dream, but Georg realized that a month ago he would have pushed her away without a second thought. That was more of a reason to be hurt than neglect from his own children considering that he neglected them for so long. He decided to feel relieved. "Could you not sleep Captain?" Maria asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, yes. Nothing serious, but I figured some tea would help me get to sleep," he explained. Maria turned as if to return to her room. "Since you're up… would you care to join me?" Georg asked, getting her attention. Maria gave some visible thought before nodding in the darkness and following Georg down the stairs.

Once in the kitchen, Georg pulled down two cups instead of one, and put water in the tea pot. He set the water on the stove to boil and turned to face his oddly silent governess. She was rooting through the various flavors of tea available in the cabinet with a very serious look on her features. It was almost too silent for Georg.

"Which sounds better, lemon or earl gray?" Maria asked, holding up two boxes of tea packets. Georg chuckled to himself before realizing that both were very favorable flavors.

"Earl gray please," he said, watching as Maria quickly opened the box and removed one packet. She opened the other just as quickly and removed one from that too before putting both boxes away. The tea pot began to screech and Georg quickly removed it from the burner. He poured the water in both cups and retrieved his tea packet from Maria, who did the same thing shortly after. Both adults retreated to the living room and sat on the sofa where they sat the first time. For a short while, they sat with their hot tea cups in silence, waiting for the drink to cool to a drinkable temperature. "I really must commend you Fraulein," Georg said quietly, taking his first sip of tea.

"Is there any reason why Captain?" Maria responded with genuine intrigue at why he was commending her.

"The puppet show you put on this afternoon was wonderful," he explained. "I never knew my children had such potential." Maria laughed to herself before taking a sip of her own tea.

"They have so much more captain. I'm very proud of them," Maria said.

"As am I Fraulein," Georg said, letting out a sad breath. Maria's face was in front of his immediately, a sad expression crossing her features.

"Is everything alright Captain?" she asked. Georg raised and lowered his shoulders, taking a long drink of tea, not affected by the heat one bit.

"I wasn't thinking about bringing this up, but when I saw you exit the nursery tonight and you explained why you were there, I felt… well hurt. That my children would come to you instead of me," he started. Maria clasped her hand over her mouth. "I don't mean to say that I don't like having you here, the children love you… but ever since I became a part of their lives, I feel a bit left out when they come to you for little things like bad dreams, or paper cuts," he finished. Maria put a consoling arm on the captain's bicep.

"I'm so sorry sir, I was just doing my job…I didn't mean…" Maria began. It was now the captain's turn to put an arm on Maria's bicep.

"No! It isn't your fault Fraulein!" Georg exclaimed a little bit louder. "I just needed to get that off my chest." Maria gave a relieved sigh. The adults realized that they were in a position where they were staring each other right in the face, their arms on each other's opposite bicep. Maria was the first to shrink away.

"If it makes you feel any better Captain, your children  _love_  you. They would never deny you that. I think you just need to assure them that they  _can_  come to you in those situations," Maria said, regaining her confidence. Georg looked at her almost lovingly.

"You're right. You're absolutely right Fraulein," Georg said. "Thank you for coming down here to chat with me. You probably could have gotten to sleep just fine without tea."

"Anytime Georg, if you ever need  _anything_  made please don't hesitate to wake me, alright?" Maria said, putting her arm on Georg's bicep and patting it. He let out a yawn and reclined on the couch as Maria collected the empty cups. As she made her way to the kitchen door, Georg sat up on the couch.

"Maria."

"Yes Georg?" Maria asked, turning around to face him.

"Thank you." Maria smiled and turned around making her way into the kitchen.

The next morning, Georg woke up more stiff than usual and he realized that he had a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body. He remembered talking with Maria the night before, but not much that happened after she left the room. He buried his face in the pillow, trying to think of what happened. It smelled like Maria, a mixture of the outside and her apple scented shampoo. Georg smiled; she had given him one of her pillows. The blanket was most likely from the linens closet. But he didn't recognize the fabric. He sat up and saw Frau Schmidt staring at him, dumbfounded.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" he demanded. Frau Schmidt only shook her head and made her way into the kitchen without a word.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria's return to the villa is memorable, that is for sure. When she finds something unexpected one evening how will she deal with it?

Out of all the time that Maria spent at the Von Trapp Villa, it had been those first few months that had Maria's brain raging with lots of questions, most of which began with the word, what. What is wrong with the children? What is behind those doors? What do I have that makes Georg so comfortable with me? Leaving the new routines and her freedom had been utterly hard, but her brain was so occupied with the baroness' statement. Maria  _despised_  leaving the children behind, but she simply needed time to herself. 

For days on end, Maria would sit isolated in her tiny room, not even the size of the bathroom in her room in the villa. She wouldn't wear her robe, she deliberately skipped mass, and ate nothing except the food Sister Josephine would sneak her in the evening., just herself, and her plain, white, nightgown, wrapped up in a wool blanket that didn't even compare to the comfort of that at the villa. Four concrete walls, one tiny window that looked out on the abbey grounds below her and a wooden door that she wouldn't dare open until all of her thoughts were sorted out. 

Nothing had happened the way she expected it to. Not that this was a bad thing really, just surprising on the part of the governess. She had fallen into a routine, one she could not break no matter what she did. Even her brief return to the abbey was not enough to break her of the habits that she had picked up. The sisters had been utter shocked at Maria's carelessness with singing and speaking. She heard on more than one occasion that she had forgotten her place. It wasn't that she had forgotten her place really; simply those old habits, or new ones, die hard. That didn't stop Maria from kissing the floor whenever Sister Berthe passed by her door.

Georg found the letter as he ushered out the last of the guests. It was a plain white envelope, nothing special. But he wondered why there was an empty seat next to Max at the dinner table. After all, he was left completely in the dark. The only thing he truly knew is that Elsa seemed quite happy during dinner. He could feel the tears in his eyes as he read the label on the letter,  _Captain Von Trapp_ , in Maria's handwriting. He was quick to tear open the note, skimming it over in horror.

_ Georg, _

_ I have given some serious thought to writing you this letter. But let me first assure you something. Yes; I will not be returning. I miss my life as a postulant too much to bear and by the time you read this I will be gone. I wish to thank you for your hospitality all these weeks. My bed was wonderful, the food absolutely divine. I also want to reassure you that it is not the children's fault that I left. I made this decision solely for myself. Please do not come looking for me and let the children know this as well. _

_ Maria _

The first word that came into Georg's mind at that moment was "unfair". It was unfair to his children, it was unfair to him. Why did she just get up and leave? Georg felt like cursing at the sky. They had taken away his Agathe, and now they had taken away the only hope he had left. After that night, Georg had many fitful nights of sleep. He was constantly tired, irritable, and even though he tried his best to put on a smile for his children, they weren't buying it. They never bought his acts anymore. They were all too upset about Maria's leaving to care what their father did. Georg's eyes stung with tears at the thought of him putting Gretl to bed each night and her asking for mother. Georg didn't know if the poor girl meant Agathe or Maria. He would leave without another word and retreat to his study where a bottle of liquor waited for him.

Then Maria came back.

It was a truly joyous occasion for everyone. Georg managed to hide his joy with a grin at the seven ecstatic children and revoked their punishment of no dinner. Maria's confidence vanished as she coldly replied the Captain's question. She would only stay as long as she was needed. That evening, a surprisingly easy night of sleep came to her, the sheets cool and comforting against her skin rather than the scratchy woolen sheet at the abbey.

Maria woke up at noon the next day, no longer tired or worried. As she made her way into the dining room where the rest of the VonTrapps waited patiently for her, she took notice that only nine place settings graced the table rather than the usual ten. It was during their meal that Georg announced his decision to end the engagement with the baroness. A prolonged gaze towards Maria as this announcement was made heated her cheeks and caused tears to come to her eyes. She excused herself from the table as soon as all of the children were done raving about what may have caused the change. She promptly ran to the gazebo and cried her eyes out.

Georg followed Maria outside when he had finished his meal and watched her from against a tree, only wishing that it was his shoulder that she was crying on. Not that he could do anything about it, the confusion of the past couple days had him wanting to cry as well. He figured that she probably was really confused. Georg no longer blamed her for wanting to leave. He scowled at his actions and retreated to his study. Crying would do him no good, but perhaps he had a bottle of whiskey somewhere. Yes, some whiskey would serve him well.

Evening came, and Maria found herself stiff and lightheaded. She opened her eyes and saw that she had fallen asleep with her arm on one of the marble benches in the gazebo. It was dark out, and she heard the cricket chirps and saw an occasional firefly glow in the yard. How long had she been out? She wasn't the least bit tired anymore, although she was quite thirsty. She stood up and stretched her arms above her head. Her gaze fell to the villa in the distance. She noticed that only a couple of windows were lit, most likely Frau Schmidt or Franz finishing up their duties before retiring for the evening. 

Then it hit her, the doors! Maria ran as fast as she could towards the villa, hoping that the doors weren't locked. Her hands grasped the handle and surprisingly enough, the door opened. Maria stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind herself and walked silently down the hall. The hall itself was dark, which made Maria wonder which rooms were lit still. She walked into the front foyer, looking around for signs of people. As she looked and listened, she heard a soft groan from off to her left. She turned and found that the door in front of her was the door to the Captain's study. She had seen him go in there numerous times, and it made her wonder why the captain was still awake, if the captain was in there at all. As she grew closer to the door the groaning grew more pronounced and painful. Maria rapped softly on the wood, her hand on the door handle ready to go in. No answer. She knocked again, before hearing the groan. She pushed down on the handle and opened the door. What she saw shocked her thoroughly.

"Georg!" she exclaimed upon opening the door. Her employer stirred slightly. He was slumped over his desk, a bottle of some kind of alcohol in his hand. Maria literally ran over to Georg and tried to wake him up. She put one hand on his shoulder and another on his opposite forearm, forcing him to sit up. He blinked a couple of times before looking at Maria.

"M-Maria?" he muttered sleepily, blinking a couple of times to clear the sparks and eye fuzzes from his already blurred vision. Maria took the bottle from her employers hand and read the label, staring angrily at Georg.

"Georg, have you been drinking whiskey?" Maria asked, holding the bottle up to her ear and shaking the bottle. She was relieved to find at least a third of the bottle left.

"I don't really remember..." he stammered, putting a hand to his temple in attempt to ease the sudden pain from drinking brought upon by his consciousness. He attempted to stand up and watched helplessly as Maria took the bottle he had been drinking out of into the study's conjoined bathroom and dumped out its contents, tossing the bottle into the garbage. She nearly ran into Georg on her way back into the study. She was secretly glad that he was still able to move.

"Georg you really need to go to bed and let all the alcohol out of your system." Maria said, taking Georg's arm and wrapping hers around it. He gave a look of astonishment at her gesture before giving her a smile. He has a sense that his true feelings are no longer masked by his drunken state. He's tried so hard to mask it but this time Georg doesn't care, he has that feeling that he can tell her how he feels, the real reason he sent Elsa home. The thing that makes his forehead sweat and his heart beat is whether or not she'd  _ever_ take him seriously in his state. Maria made her way to the desk where a lamp was still on. She turned it off and helped Georg out of the study.

"Fraulein, you really don't need to help me to my room," Georg said sleepily. Maria simply shook her head.

"Georg, I care about you too much to let you pass out on the stairs," Maria stated matter-of-factly. Georg looked at Maria with a fazed expression.

"You care about me?" he asked. Maria blushed furiously.

"I'd be heartless not to care about the father of the children I'm supposed to be taking care of. Imagine poor Gretl waking up to find her father passed out drunk on the stairs," Maria pointed out. Georg took this statement into consideration.

"I suppose you're right Fraulein," he muttered. So much for revealing his feelings to her, she only cared about his well-being not him in general.

"What were you thinking Georg? Is something bothering you?"

"Well, yes and no," he muttered with a groan. Maria's face displayed overall confusion. Her features settled on annoyance.

"Well which is it Captain? Yes or no?" she stated. Georg had to give this some thought as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Yes mostly," he answered, wincing at her jerky movements. He can tell that she is angry it's understandable. He understands perfectly that his actions are something to be angry at.

"Well I'm all ears if you want to talk," Maria said as she approached the door to his room.

"You..." he muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Maria asked, almost offended. "You drank half a bottle of whiskey because of me?"

"That isn't what I meant Fraulein," Georg said. Maria looked around the room before looking at him again.

"Well I'm completely in the dark here Captain, so if you'd do me the favor of explaining to me why I'm the cause of your drinking I'd be very happy to listen," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's my way of solving problems," Georg admitted sheepishly.

"Oh I see, so you think  _drinking_  is going to solve all of your problems?" she asked.

"Well you're here so obviously not all of them!" he exclaimed.

"So I'm a  _problem_ now am I?" she accused him.

"I never said that!" Georg retorted angrily.

"Well you certainly implied it," Maria stated. Georg rubbed his aching temples, trying not to lose his temper with her any more than she already had. He was drunk, he was tired, and now the girl he was in love with had misunderstood him. Maria made her way over to the door and put her hand on the handle. 

"If you want to continue this discussion  _after_  you've sobered up a little I'll talk to you then, get some sleep Georg," she said. The Captain jolted off the bed and was quick to approach her, pinning her between the door and him. His lips were upon hers in frenzy, begging her to let him in, physically and internally. She tried to push him away, but she had melted into his movements. When he broke away from her two pairs of blue eyes searched each other.

Maria was out of words to say to Georg's actions. She didn't know if this was real or if he was too drunk to care.

"I love you Maria," he muttered daringly. Maria closed her eyes and shook her head, tears streaking her cheeks. She pushed down on the door handle and stepped out of the room, undoubtedly closing the door in his face. She didn't care anymore. Her bed welcomed her as she cried her eyes out once more. It was for certain that sleep would not come easily to her for a very long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria's return to the villa is memorable, that is for sure. When she finds something unexpected one evening how will she deal with it?

Georg woke the following morning with a throbbing pain in his head. It felt like a dozen hammers were pounding directly on his brain. His mouth was incredibly dry inside, and his arms could barely hold him up. He also took note that he had fallen asleep in his clothes. He could barely remember what had happened the previous night. He remembered drinking the whiskey…and he remembered fighting with his governess. But was that all that had happened?

He looked to the clock that sat on his nightstand and saw that it was only 6:30 in the morning. Frau Schmidt would come to wake him for breakfast at 8:00, which gave him an hour and a half to sleep and attempt to get rid of this pain in his head. But first, he needed water to help the dryness in his mouth.

The Captain stumbled out of his bed and almost fell to the floor as soon as his feet touched the ground. His legs were wobbly and weak. He made a vow in his mind right then and there that he would never drink _that much_ in one sitting again. He made his way into the adjoined restroom off his bedroom and without grabbing a glass, turned on the sink, and cupped his hands to drink the water from. He also splashed some water on his face. That’s when he got a good look at himself in the mirror. He looked positively _awful_. Hopefully some more sleep would help with that. He dried his face with the towel that hung near the mirror and went back into the bedroom. As he made his way back to the bed, he realized that his memory of the night before was coming back. That’s also when the regret settled at the bottom of his stomach.

He remembered the talk that he had with Fraulein Maria, how she had told him that she was worried about him…but only for the sake of the children. How he had told her that drinking was how he solved his problems. How she had misunderstood him. _How his kissed her in his bedroom and declared his love to her._ How she had slammed the door in his face.

“Damn it all…” Georg muttered under his breath. How could he have done such a thing to her? It was true that he harbored feelings for his governess, but he had planned to tell her those feelings when the time was right! When he was sure that she felt the same! Not when he was drunk off his ass and not thinking clearly. He supposed that it was true that alcohol made a man bolder. Crawling back under the covers, he clutched a pillow and buried his face in it. Perhaps he could smother himself so that he wouldn’t have to face Maria ever again. He flipped over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

Then he thought of his children. He certainly couldn’t ask Maria to go without a good reason. He couldn’t ask her to stay, either. Not if she didn’t _want_ to stay. The children had missed her terribly the first time she left (and he had missed her terribly as well, though he wouldn’t admit that). It was certain that they would miss her even more if she left again. He had intended on making her a new mother to his children, if she would have him that was.

As he lay in bed, Georg made up a plan his mind. The first thing he had to do get rid of this bloody hangover. The second thing he had to do was get would be to apologize to Maria. There was no doubt in his mind that it would difficult to do so, as she would more than likely be avoiding him for the foreseeable future. Hopefully her love for the children would keep her around for at least a few more weeks. At least until school began for the children.

A knock on his bedroom door came at 8:00AM sharp, and the voice of his housekeeper sounded through the door.

“Captain, it is Frau Schmidt. Breakfast will be served shortly,” she said.

“Frau Schmidt, could you come in for a moment?” Georg called back to her. The door opened and the elderly housekeeper entered the bedroom. “I am not feeling well this morning; could you bring me some water and some aspirin?” Frau Schmidt looked at her employer with a raised eyebrow. Just from the look on her face, Georg could tell that she knew that he had been drinking the night before. The real question was…would she say something about it? After a moment of silent staring at each other, Frau Schmidt nodded.

“Yes sir, would you like Franz to bring your breakfast up to you as well?”

“That would be preferred, Frau Schmidt. Thank you.” _There is no need for the children to see me in this state._ He refrained from saying.

* * *

Maria had not gotten a wink of sleep so far that night. She had simply stared up at the ceiling, replaying the night’s events over and over in her head. Her lips still felt a tingling sensation from how the Captain had kissed her. Her face was warm and her cheeks were red. The blush just wouldn’t go away. However, it _had_ to go away. While he had kissed her, it was while he was drunk. He wasn’t thinking clearly. Surely, he didn’t actually _love_ her! Yet there was a nagging voice in the back of Maria’s mind that kept saying, “But what if he meant it? What if he _does_ love you?”

It was one of two reasons why she had returned to the villa. The first reason was obviously the children. She had missed them too much. The second reason...she loved Georg. And the thought of loving her employer terrified her. The Mother Abbess had told her not to run from her fears, but to face them. Maria knew that she was right. She _had_ to face her fears. To think that her feelings were reciprocated…well that terrified her even more. She closed her eyes and held her hands over her chest. She could feel her heart beating fast. Perhaps prayer would make her feel better.

“Father God…” she began. Her voice caught in her throat before she could continue speaking. Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“Father God…you created me to have a purpose on this earth. I am not sure what that purpose is; however, I do believe that you sent me to this family for a reason. You brought me to these wonderful children and their father for a reason. I know not this reason. I know that you are God, and that your reasons are yours. When you choose to reveal that to us is all in your timing…” She paused for a moment and swallowed. “Father, I am scared. I am scared to love this man whom you have brought into my life. I feel things around him, Father. Things I have never felt before. Mother Abbess says that the love of a man and a woman is Holy too. And that just because I love a man, doesn’t mean that I love you any less.” She took another pause and another deep breath. “Please, Father God. Please make it clear to me how I am supposed to feel about him. Please bring me peace, Father God. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

As soon as she finished her prayer, Maria fell asleep.

* * *

The following morning at breakfast, Maria was the first to notice that the Captain was not at his usual place at the head of the table. The children trickled into the dining room, one by one. They didn’t notice that their father was missing right away. Perhaps he was just late to breakfast? No, that couldn’t be. The Captain was always on time to every meal. It was Gretl who spoke up after breakfast had been served and everyone was eating.

“Where is Father?” her timid voice rang out. Forks clanged against plates as the other children looked to the empty chair at the table. Franz entered the room with a pitcher of milk for the children and he was quick to answer Gretl’s question.

“The Captain is feeling under the weather this morning. He is currently resting and is not to be disturbed.” This surprised the children as they began to talk about what their father could have possibly come down with that would result in him being bedridden. Maria cleared her throat, which stopped the children’s chatter.

“I’m sure your father is just fine, children. We all get sick every now and again, including the Captain.”

Gretl’s voice piped up again. “Do you think Father would feel better if I brought him some flowers?”

“I’m sure he would love them, Gretl. But what I think he needs most right now is rest,” Maria said with a small nod to the youngest Von Trapp.

* * *

Maria occupied herself with the children that day, content that Georg was bedridden (most likely with a hangover) and that he would not come looking for her. She helped Gretl pick some wildflowers after lunch, but stayed downstairs while Frau Schmidt escorted the five year old upstairs to give the flowers to her father.

By dinner time, the Captain was feeling well enough to come downstairs for dinner, rather than take his meal in his room like he had for breakfast and lunch. All through the meal, Maria avoided eye contact with her employer. The one time she looked at him, he was staring at her intensely. This caused Maria to avoid his gaze even more.

* * *

It was after dinner and after the children had been put to bed that Maria decided to take a walk in the cool night air. She was unsettled that her thoughts were still dominated by the previous night’s events. She hadn’t been around the Captain in private all day, thanks to his hangover. She did believe that she deserved an apology, but she would _not_ be the one to initiate the conversation that would lead to it. If Georg wanted to apologize to her, he would initiate the conversation himself.

She approached the gazebo and took a seat on the bench outside of it. She brought her fingers to her lips and closed her eyes. She replayed the kiss again and again. Despite the fact that he had essentially forced himself on her, she had to admit that in a way…she had enjoyed his kiss. However, she would never admit that to anyone as long as she lived.

“You know, the doors will be locked soon…” a masculine voice cut through the silence that Maria had been enjoying. Her head whipped towards the sound and there was Georg, standing not too far away. Maria said nothing; this was his chance to apologize. After all, it was the first time they had been alone all day. She turned her head away.

“I’ve been looking for you, you know,” Georg spoke, moving closer to Maria. “I’ve wanted to apologize to you for my conduct last night. It was unbecoming of me to…” he cleared his throat, “force myself upon you while I was drunk. I hope you can forgive me, and I hope you won’t think any less of the children because of the actions of their father.”

Maria looked at Georg. She sighed quietly and beckoned for him to sit with her.  He made his way over, perhaps a little too eagerly, and sat opposite of her on the bench.

“I do forgive you,” she said after a moment. “And I would never think less of the children because their father made a mistake.”

_A mistake she called it._ Georg thought to himself. _Perhaps that’s all it was…a mistake._ However, his day of resting had brought about some clarity in his mind. Now that he was sober, he was able to see Maria much more clearly than before. And he still loved her. He loved her more than he was willing or able to admit. The question was…did she love him back?

The two sat in silence for a few moments. Neither knew what to say or do next. After the previous night, doing nothing seemed appropriate. However, Maria broke the silence anyway.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. Aspirin does wonders on a hurting head.”

“Good. You had the children quite worried.”

_Only the children?_ Georg thought to himself. _Of course she didn’t worry for me. She knew it was just a hangover._

“I’m sorry to have worried them.”

“I don’t know why you’re apologizing to me. It was the children you worried.”

“Maria…” Georg said softly. “Do you know why I broke off my engagement with the Baroness?” Maria looked at him and shook her head, no. “It’s because…I’m in love with someone else.”

“Are you, now?” Maria asked. Her heart began to flutter in her chest. She swallowed thickly and she did her best not to ask the question that followed. Her mouth betrayed her, however, and she asked anyway. “Who?”

“Who am I in love with?”

“Yes. Who are you in love with?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“You.”

More silence fell between the two. Maria turned her head away and looked up at the heavens. So he _had_ meant it. What’s more, she was in love with him too. If anything, now was the time to tell him. She turned her head back to Georg to tell him exactly that, however his lips were upon hers once again in an instant. This time, Maria didn’t pull away, she didn’t push him back. She melted into the kiss and rested her hand on the Captain’s shoulder. A blush settled on Maria’s cheeks and her breathing was heavy when he finally pulled away.

“I’m sorry…I just had to do that,” Georg said, searching Maria’s face for clues. “Even if you don’t love me, I love you, Maria…”

“Georg…”

“I love you more than I ever imagined I could or would. My mind is clearer than ever before...”

“Georg!” Maria practically shouted. Georg stopped speaking, though it was clear that he had much more to say. “I love you too.”

“You…you do?”

“Yes, I do.” Maria smiled at the Captain. “You’re not drunk, are you?” Georg chuckled heartily.

“No, my dear, I am not drunk.”

As Georg leaned into Maria for another kiss, all Maria could think was, “ _Thank you, Lord.”_


End file.
